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When someone suffers a heart attack or stops breathing, immediate action should be taken. Single out a person to call 9-1-1 so that the distressed individual can get an ambulance to the emergency room. In the meantime, someone who knows how should begin performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation, otherwise known as CPR. This can increase the hurt individual’s chances of survival by two or three times. With this in mind, the American Heart Association highly recommends getting certified in CPR so you can be helpful should this situation arise. If you’re unfamiliar with the practice, here’s a helpful beginner’s guide to review before reaching out for training. 

3 Steps Involved in CPR

1. Evaluate Your Surroundings

Take a look around and determine whether the area is safe. If you’re near a fire, a strong tide, or in a high traffic area, consider asking other on-lookers for assistance moving the person somewhere safe. As always, use your best judgment and determine whether the person can be moved without inflicting additional injury. 

2. Address the Individual

emergency roomOnce 9-1-1 has been called and you’re in a safe area, address the person that’s in distress. Ask them if they can hear you and if they are okay. These questions will help determine whether they’re conscious or at all able to respond. Have the person talking to the emergency room operator relay all this information.

3. Start Hands-Only Compressions

If the person is unconscious and nonresponsive, begin giving hands-only chest compressions. The emergency room operator can walk you through this. Make sure the individual is flat on their back on a sturdy surface. Kneel down by their neck and shoulders and begin chest compressions in the center of the chest with one hand on top of the other. Push straight down so the chest compresses two inches and continue this movement at a rate of 100 to 120 compressions per minute.

 

If you’re located in the Mid-Willamette Valley area of Oregon and you’re looking for a state-of-the-art emergency room, Santiam Hospital is ready to provide immediate care. With a long history of offering both specialized and preventive care, this network also includes nine primary care clinics and has been a leader in health care since opening in 1953. To ask questions or make an appointment, call today at (503) 769-2175. For more on their services, visit the website

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